DON'T I NEED AN IPOD?

Many people believe that they have to have an iPod in order to listen to a podcast.

They're wrong! The name "podcast", in my opinion, is rather unfortunate. It implies that you need an iPod. The truth is, a podcast episode is merely a normal MP3 file, just like any of the music you may have on your computer.

You can play a podcast on any device that will play an MP3. This includes all portal MP3 players (including iPods), Windows computers, Apple computers, and even some car stereos!

WELL THEN, WHAT'S A PODCAST?

In truth, "podcasting" describes a distribution method, not the actual media (file type) itself.

Each of our posts allow you to directly download an MP3 file of our shows. Of course, there's a more convenient way to get them -- that's where "podcasting" comes in. Programs like iTunes are set up to check a data file (an "RSS" file) on sites like RandomChatter about once an hour. If there are any changes to that data file, it means we've posted an episode. That program then downloads the new episode automatically, and -- if applicable -- may also insert it directly into your MP3 device (such as an iPod).

This is known as "subscribing" to a podcast. Keep in mind though, this isn't like any other subscription you're used to. Nobody monitors it. Nobody regulates it. And most importantly, subscribing to a podcast is 100% FREE!

However, iTunes is not the only program that will automate this for you. It might be the most common and easiest to use, but there are other programs that will automatically grab podcasts for you besides iTunes. They're often known as "podcatchers", though most any RSS or "newsfeed" reader these days will work -- including many web-based options.

HOW CAN I GET YOUR PODCASTS AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT USING ITUNES?

I won't describe the various programs. However, each of those programs will need the web address of the data file I described above -- the podcast's "feed". When you tell the program you want to add RandomChatter to your list of subscribed podcasts, you'll need to know this address.

Here are the data file addresses, or "feeds", for each of our shows. You can copy and paste these as needed.

RandomChatter:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/randomchatter

MovieChatter:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/rc-movies

LostChatter:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/rc-lost

TechChatter:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/techchatter